


Petrichor

by ginnywrites



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnywrites/pseuds/ginnywrites
Summary: The first thing Obi-Wan does with Anakin, once all of the required things are out of the way, is to take him to the meditation gardens.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 71
Collections: 2020 Obi-Wan Kenobi Gen Exchange





	Petrichor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skatzaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skatzaa/gifts).



> A little snapshot from their early days. Hope you enjoy!

The first thing Obi-Wan does with Anakin, once all of the required things are out of the way, is to take him to the meditation gardens. He could produce a different answer for anyone who asked why— because their grounding and calming nature will balance the excitement of the last few days, or because this boy from Tatooine will be awed by the greenery and water, or because he wants to get an early start on guiding his new padawan into meditation. And all of them might be a little bit true. 

But the heart of the matter is, after all of the death and destruction they’ve witnessed, he wants to show Anakin a place of refuge, of peace and life.

Anakin soaks up everything new like a sponge, and the gardens are no exception. They are perhaps less impressive after Naboo, but he still stops and stares when they first enter.

“Whoa,” he breathes.

Obi-Wan can’t help a smile at the awed expression on his face. He’s been working with Anakin on opening himself up to the Force, and it seems to have paid off. “Come on, Anakin. It’s bigger on the inside.”

“You can _see_ everything in the Force,” Anakin says, trailing behind him, periodically stopping to take a closer look at a tree here or a flower there. “It’s all so— so _alive._ It’s kind of like they’re glowing. Is that how they look to you, too?”

“They do. As do you,” Obi-Wan says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But you learn to modulate it with time.”

“I don’t think I could ever get used to this,” Anakin says.

The gardens are mercifully empty at this time of day, and they’re undisturbed as they make their way to a small waterfall tucked away in a corner. Obi-Wan takes a seat on the grass nearby and motions for Anakin to do the same. Anakin sits, though there’s something unresolved in his face. Obi-Wan waits silently, giving him the room to speak, but Anakin just tangles his fingers through the grass and avoids looking at him. It’s long minutes and going nowhere fast.

“You seem troubled,” Obi-Wan says. “What is it?”

Anakin shifts, looking a little self-conscious. “This all takes so much water, doesn’t it?”

Ah. “It does, but water is a much more abundant resource here than on Tatooine.”

“No, I know,” Anakin says.

“I’m sure it’s very different from what you’re used to,” Obi-Wan tries.

“Yeah, but not in a bad way,” Anakin says. “It’s just… I just wish my mom could see something like this. But I know I’m not supposed to think about her,” he adds quickly.

There’s homesickness and anxiety practically radiating off him in waves, and Obi-Wan’s heart breaks for him. He reaches out to put an arm around Anakin’s shoulders, pulling him into a half hug and wrapping his cloak around them— Anakin's mentioned more than once how cold Coruscant is in comparison to Tatooine.

“Oh, Anakin. You’re not supposed to stop thinking about her any more than I’m supposed to stop thinking about Qui-Gon,” he says, and he feels more than sees Anakin look up at him in surprise. 

Anakin’s all but holding his breath, like he’s afraid to say the wrong thing at a critical moment.

“You love her, and you miss her. None of those things are wrong. In fact, your capacity to love is a great thing,” Obi-Wan says, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. “We all have feelings, but we must learn not to be controlled by them.”

“You miss Qui-Gon, too?” Anakin asks.

“I miss him terribly,” Obi-Wan admits. It’s tempting to lie, to brush off the question, but Obi-Wan will not begin his Knighthood by lying to his padawan. 

“What do you do when you miss him?” Anakin’s voice has gone very small, and he wraps the end of Obi-Wan’s cloak a little tighter around himself. 

“I take a deep breath,” Obi-Wan says, and does so. “And I focus on what’s around me, like the waterfall, the rocks, the grass we’re sitting on, and maybe the trees over there. That grounds me, so that whatever I’m feeling doesn’t carry me away. And then I try to think of why I’m feeling that way, and whether or not it’s affecting what I’m doing or what I should be doing. Figuring out why I'm feeling a certain way helps me release those feelings into the Force. And by then, I have a clearer head, and I can think about what I need to do next, if anything.”

“It sounds like a lot,” Anakin says, sounding rather dubious about the whole thing.

“You can practice with me here, if you’d like,” Obi-Wan says.

Anakin sighs and settles in against his side. Obi-Wan can sense when his focus turns to their surroundings, Anakin’s presence glowing softly in the Force and then becoming calmer, and the tension gradually melts out of his posture. It’s a good start. A great start, even.

“Well done,” Obi-Wan says. “Feel better?”

Anakin just nods, and they sit in a companionable silence until the sun begins to set.


End file.
